How to Make Your Home Safe: Home Holiday Safety Tips

Posted on 12/23/18

in Blog, Personal Injury, Premises Liability

Holidays are a wonderful time for friends and family to gather. It’s also a time that accidents can happen. Studies show that dangers in the home account for 18,000 deaths and 21 million hospital trips in the U.S. every year. As you plan to host a holiday gathering, we’ve put together a list of home holiday safety tips to ensure your home is holiday safe and ready for your guests.

Home holiday safety tips

Making sure your home is holiday safe is one of the best things you can do to avoid personal injuries from happening during the holidays. The reality is most people are unaware that they are able to prevent such accidents.

The holidays can invite a lot of potential hazards to your home and loved ones. It is a homeowner’s responsibility to ensure their home is safe for visitors. We owe it to ourselves, our family, and our friends to think about safety in our own homes.

Common problems in the home that lead to injuries:

  • Falls
  • Poisonings
  • Choking and suffocation
  • Drowning
  • Inadequate railings and banisters
  • Unsafe storage of medications
  • Firearms improperly stored

Preventing Falls

Falls are the leading cause of home injury deaths. In an effort to protect family and guests, consider the following:

  • Handrails. Stairs, both inside and outside should have handrails. It is important to make sure that you fix any broken handrails. This home holiday safety tip can prevent a serious injury due to a fall.
  • Rugs. Rugs are a wonderful addition to your home, but if they aren’t secured, they could be a big tripping hazard.
  • Walkways and driveways. As concrete settles or pavers move, our walkways and driveways become uneven, which can pose a tripping hazard. It’s best to repair any uneven walkways or driveways or at least mark it off so guests are aware of the hazard.

Preventing Poisonings

The second leading cause of home injury death is poisoning. To prevent poisonings, consider the following tips:

  • Store cleaning products safely and out of reach of children.
  • Clearly label all unmarked liquid containers.
  • Monitor carbon monoxide levels in your home closely.
  • Never mix household cleaning products together, especially bleach and ammonia as it creates a toxic, undetectable gas.
  • Keep all medicines in a secure location.
  • Check heaters and fireplaces. Make sure to have them cleaned every year before the cold weather months.

Preventing Home Fires

The holiday season means colder weather.  We turn the heater back on, use our oven more and light the fireplace. All of these increase the risk of home fires, but here are some ways to prevent them:

  • Ensure you have working smoke detectors in your home and on every level. Test your batteries and replace them every six months.
  • Cooking accidents are the leading cause of home structure fires and home fire injuries. Never leave your oven or stove unattended.
  • Make sure to blow out candles when you leave home or go to bed.

Preventing Chokings

Children are at the greatest risk of choking. Sometimes when you think of making your home holiday safe, you may not think of choking and suffocation.

  • Always watch children. Foods like popcorn, grapes and hotdogs are common foods that children can choke on. Supervise children while they eat. Don’t forget about toys. Small toys are choking hazards and should be stored in a safe place.
  • Keep trash bags and other plastic bags out of reach of children.
  • Make sure strings, ropes and cords are tied up and kept away from children.

Other Home Holiday Safety Tips

  • Decorating: Carefully inspect holiday lights and discard any that seem frayed, cracked or that have a loose connection. When leaving the house or going to bed, always turn off your holiday lights. If you have a live tree, a freshly cut tree is more resistant to catching on fire. Make sure it has plenty of water.
  • Cooking: Handling food safely is key to preventing a food-related illness. Cook food to correct temperatures and wash hands and counter surfaces often.
  • Safety: Be mindful about locking doors and windows when leaving the house. If you plan on leaving your home for a long period of time, a neighbor can watch your house and check your mail. Don’t forget that after opening those presents, don’t leave big boxes by the road that show what the contents were, for example, a 60-inch plasma TV!
  • Pets: Dog bites are a common occurrence during the holidays because of all of the unusual traffic. Dogs can get stressed out during this time. Be mindful of your pet’s mood and keep your dog away from visitors if he or she seems aggressive.

We hope these home holiday safety tips help you to think about the hazards in your home. It’s important that you take responsibility for your home and your guests to ensure everyone stays safe and enjoys the holidays.

If you are injured on someone else’s property, contact our premises liability lawyers at Bowen Painter Trial Lawyers. We offer a free, no-obligation, case review. You can contact us online or call us directly at 912-335-1909.

Disclaimer: Information provided on this site is not formal legal advice. It is general legal information. Filing a personal injury lawsuit requires a thorough knowledge of the laws and legal system.